Please introduce yourself and tell us what you do.
I’m Miranda Popen, founder of The Period Lab. I help women understand and work with their hormones instead of feeling betrayed by them every month. We connect education and communication via nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, digestion, and symptoms to show women how their cycle actually functions and how to feel better in it.
The Period Lab connects movement, nutrition, sleep and symptoms in a way that helps women see the whole picture. How do you encourage women to tune into the subtle signals their bodies send but that so many of us overlook?
I remind women that symptoms are feedback, not flaws. Low appetite, bloating, gum inflammation, poor sleep - none of these are random. When women learn when something is happening in their cycle and why, they stop ignoring their body and start listening to it. Awareness creates trust. Data creates confidence. AKA suddenly the body isn’t “dramatic”, it’s communicative.
Hormonal shifts impact everything from our energy to our appetite. What role do you think oral care plays in supporting women throughout their cycle?
Oral care is wildly underestimated. The mouth is part of the immune system, the inflammatory system, and the hormonal conversation. If your gums are inflamed, bleeding, or sensitive, that’s not just a mouth issue - it’s systemic stress. Supporting oral health supports inflammation control, nutrient absorption, and nervous system balance, all of which directly affect hormones.
Research shows that gums can become more sensitive during certain phases of the menstrual cycle. In your experience, how can women support their oral health during hormonal fluctuations and why does it matter more than people realize?
Estrogen and progesterone influence blood flow and tissue sensitivity, so gums often flare during ovulation and late luteal phase. Supporting oral health here means consistency with gentle brushing, flossing even when gums are sensitive, mineral support, hydration, and managing blood sugar. It matters because chronic low-grade inflammation even in the gums keeps the body in a stressed state, which directly impacts progesterone, cortisol, and cycle stability.
You have helped countless women feel at home in their bodies again. Is there a moment or story from your practice that captures what regaining vitality truly looks like?
A client telling me, “I had my period and didn’t have to plan my life around it.” Or “I slept through the night before my cycle for the first time in years.” Vitality looks like not bracing for your body anymore. It’s quiet confidence. That’s the win.
As someone with a deep and science-backed understanding of hormones, what personal self-care rituals are non-negotiable for you?
Protein before coffee. Eating in a way that supports my cycle phase or symptoms. Walking daily. Consistent sleep timing. Oral care I don’t rush. Nervous system regulation even when I don’t “have time.” Hormones don’t respond to hustle. They respond to safety.